The headline on the New York Times piece by Mark Leibovich asked a straightforward question: “Does Joe Biden want to be doing this?” Outside the desire to beat President Trump, the contention of the author of “This Town” is that the former vice president is rather ambivalent about the quest — depending on the day. Well, I must have caught Biden on a good day last month. For in the gymnasium of Clinton College, the historically black college in Rock Hill, S.C., he was in his element.
At an Aug. 29 town hall, Biden was with people — kissing one baby, joshing with a Philadelphia Eagles fan and hugging a woman (with her permission) — while reveling in the human contact that a presidential campaign requires. He was talking and talking, mentioning several times how he gets in trouble for doing so. Not that anyone seemed to mind. But Biden was at his most focused when he was taking on the ravages of Trump. And the audience thrilled at each high-minded jab at 45.
“We are in a battle for the soul of this nation.” Applause.
“Words of the president matter.” Applause.
“[He’s] doubled down on his worst instincts.” Applause.
Trump “squandered” the good economy that the administration of Biden and President Barack Obama left Trump. Applause.
“It’s sinful what’s happening. I would have thought that even he would not target sick kids.” Applause.
“We all know who Donald Trump is. … We have to show him who we are. We have to let the rest of the world know who we are.” Applause.
That’s not to say Biden didn’t field questions about health care, immigration, the budget, hate crimes and foreign affairs during a 60-minute-plus Q&A session. He did and went on at length with each answer punctuated with “but here’s the deal,” “I’m serious” and, my favorite, “c’mon, man!” Yet, it was the last question that was emblematic of the mood in that South Carolina gym and among Democrats nationally.
“As president,” asked a young boy in gray jeans and matching T-shirt, “how will you fix the damage Donald Trump has caused?” The gym exploded, as if the Clinton College Golden Bears basketball team had scored a buzzer beater in a championship game. And Biden relished the moment to remind the gathered, “It’s time we lift our heads up and remember who we are. … I refuse to postpone the opportunity” to change the direction of the country.
As a raft of polls have shown, Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president. Still, I couldn’t shake the impression that the passion on that basketball court was more about defeating Trump than supporting anyone specifically. When I sat down with Biden for an interview on my Cape Up podcast last week, I asked him whether my impression was right; that what Democrats want most is to send Trump packing. They don’t care who it is as long as they are convinced that “who” will succeed.
“There is a real passion for getting rid of Donald Trump,” Biden told me. “But I think there is a lot of passion for electing somebody who they think can, in fact, repair the damage that Trump has done, and to actually bring the country back together and unite the country on the basic fundamental things that make America America.” Sure, Biden thinks he is that person, and that’s why he’s leading the crowded Democratic field. “That’s why I think you see the response to the soul-of-America argument I’m making,” he continued, “because they know how deeply I feel it.”
But later in the interview, Biden said he didn’t think he was the only one who could retake the White House. “I think there’s other people in the race who can beat Trump,” admitted Biden. Who? I inquired. “Well, I think almost anybody,” he told me. “They’d all make a better president than Trump, no matter who’s left in the race.” Can’t argue with that, quite frankly.
Just before he and I talked, The Post published an article about the latest gaffe to hit Team Biden. This time it was a report that dismantled a favorite story Biden tells about pinning a medal on a member of the military. After pounding the table while recounting the tale in almost exasperated tones, Biden stared me right in the eyes and said, “I don’t know what the problem is. What is it that I said wrong?”
And then I went there. I told him the latest gaffe fed into the narrative that some worry Biden is too old or isn’t all there. I asked him how he could break such a damaging narrative that could destroy his campaign. “Well, I can only break out of it when I win,” he said. Not that anyone seems to care. As Caitlin Huey-Burns reported for CBS News from outside the Rock Hill town hall, the gaffes are baked in and don’t hurt him among voters.
Eugene Robinson got it right. “Voters are making up their own minds about what’s important in Biden’s performance and what’s not,” Robinson wrote in his Monday column. “I think they’re looking for ‘electability,’ whatever that means; they’re looking for a fighter who won’t back down; and they’re looking for leadership.” And this contention was best exemplified by Alfonso Burris, 70, of Rock Hill and Alonzo White Jr., 66, from Dalton, Ga.
Before the Biden town hall kicked off, I asked them why they were there. Burris was totally for Biden. But White was there to listen. “I’m just here to see what he has to say and the plans he has for the country, moving it forward and bringing us together,” White said, “because we are the United States of America, not the divided states of America, which is what President Trump is doing.” But was his presence at the Biden town hall a tacit statement of support?
“I haven’t fully decided yet,” said White, who did say that he was leaning more toward Biden than anyone else. Why? “He’s always been a fighter, and that’s basically what we need in this country is a fighter.”
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